Understanding how contexts influence soundscape perception is a key issue within the framework of ISO 12913. However, methods for visualizing individuals’ evaluative structures regarding soundscape in context remain limited. The present study applies the Evaluation Grid Method originally developed by Sanui & Inui in 1986, Japan to explore the underlying needs and value criteria associated with favorable soundscapes. A preliminary investigation was conducted. Participants were asked to compare verbal descriptions of acoustic environments (e.g., “a park with audible water sounds, few people, and little traffic noise”) and evaluate them based on perceived favorability. Through semi-structured interviews and “why” questioning, known as laddering, we identified the reasons behind their preferences and constructed an evaluation structure diagram capturing concrete features, impression-level evaluations, and abstract value criteria. The results suggest that comparisons between relatively unfavorable environments reveal basic evaluative structures, such as the need for a quiet setting, whereas comparisons between relatively favorable environments elicit higher-order value criteria, such as feelings of relaxation or openness. This demonstrates the method’s potential to uncover both foundational and added-value factors that shape individual perceptions of acoustic environments, offering a promising tool for enriching contextual analysis in soundscape research.
Akita et al. (Wed,) studied this question.